The present invention relates generally to horticultural devices and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to hydroponic devices and methods which are particularly adapted for outdoor plant cultivation.
Hydroponics generally represents the growing of plants in nutrient solutions rather than in natural soil. For many horticultural applications, hydroponics provides significant benefits. For example, greater control may be exerted over the parameters which affect plant growth. Consequently, plant densities, plant growth rates, and product yields may exceed those achievable by cultivating plants in natural soil. Moreover, soil or other environmental conditions in various locations simply prohibit successful cultivation of certain plants. In these situations, such certain plants may be successfully cultivated using hydroponic techniques.
On the other hand, hydroponic techniques conventionally present significant drawbacks. The control of numerous parameters which affect plant performance usually requires a substantial investment in facilities and equipment. Often, hydroponic techniques are practiced indoors, in greenhouses and the like, where plant performance-affecting parameters may be more easily controlled than outdoors. The indoor facility needs, when coupled with elaborate equipment needs, often make such conventional hydroponic techniques prohibitively expensive. In addition, indoor space limitations often restrict the practice of conventional hydroponic techniques to a small scale. Furthermore, elaborate equipment often requires a great amount of human intervention and maintenance in order to achieve successful hydroponic results. Often times, a failure of a single piece of hydroponic equipment results in failure of an entire crop.
Still, in many potential applications some or all of the advantages of hydroponic techniques can be achieved without indoor facilities. Consequently, by practicing hydroponics outdoors many of the cost, space, and other disadvantages are minimized. While outdoor hydroponic systems are known, such conventional outdoor systems fail to adequately answer many of the problems posed by outdoor hydroponics.
For example, in arid climates hydroponics potentially offers great benefits because the successful cultivation of certain desirable plants in arid soil is exceedingly difficult. However, in arid climates evaporation of nutrient solutions becomes a serious problem. Evaporation may take place from a plant itself or directly from hydroponic equipment. Substantial evaporation from hydroponic equipment is especially undesirable because such evaporation may undesirably concentrate remaining nutrient solutions to the detriment of growing plants. Conventional hydroponic equipment fails to adequately retard the effects of evaporation, and consequently, increased maintenance is required to successfully cultivate plants.
In addition, conventional hydroponic equipment fails to adequately protect plant roots and nutrient solutions from insects and other contamination. While this problem is not as severe when equipment is used indoors, it becomes serious when used outdoors. Consequently, constant surveillance and maintenance is required outdoors to guard against infestations and contamination.
Furthermore, many conventional hydroponic devices are elaborate structures which are complicated to build and maintain and are thus undesirably expensive. Accordingly, such equipment is not suitable for outdoor use in applications where the equipment is replicated numerous times for the cultivation of large quantities of plants.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention that an improved hydroponic apparatus and plant cultivation technique is provided.
Another advantage of the present invention is that low maintenance hydroponic equipment is provided. Thus, overall expense of operating the present invention is reduced and large numbers of the present invention may be attended to with a minimum amount of human intervention.
Yet another advantage is that the present invention retards evaporation of nutrient solutions. Consequently, the present invention is suitable for use in arid climates without requiring excessive maintenance.
Still another advantage is that the present invention guards against insect infestations and contamination of plant roots and of nutrient solutions. Accordingly, the present invention improves survivability of cultivated plants and reduces required maintenance.
Another advantage is that the present invention is simple to construct and maintain. Thus, the present invention is inexpensive to acquire initially and to operate.
The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried out in one form by an apparatus which hydroponically cultivates a plant while retarding evaporation and protecting plant roots. The apparatus includes a container which is configured to retain a nutrient solution. The container has an opening therein. A seal is positioned within the opening. The seal has a hole which is dimensioned to provide physical contact between the seal and the plant""s stem.
The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried out in another form by a method of efficiently cultivating a plant hydroponically. The method positions a seed on a porous support medium which resides within a growing container. The growing container has a seal, and the seal has a hole which is located generally above the seed. The method calls for dispersing a nutrient solution throughout the support medium located within the growing container. The method additionally guides the growth of the plant through the hole in the seal. The stem of the plant is surroundably contacted by the seal. Thus, this surrounding contact retards evaporation of the nutrient solution from the growing container. The seal expands to accommodate the stem as the plant grows.